This application claims the priority of German patent application 102 19 439.4, filed May 2, 2002, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a control system for a motor vehicle having a plurality of functional subsystems, such as a passenger compartment controller, a telematics system, a drive controller and a chassis controller, each functional subsystem having a plurality of control devices, and a central databus.
Modern motor vehicles have numerous electronic components or control devices which are assigned, for example, to a functional subsystem—a chassis controller, drive controller, passenger compartment controller or telematics system. The control devices of a subsystem are generally distributed over the entire vehicle; for example control devices for the chassis controller may be situated at a front axle and rear axle, or telematics control devices, such as telephone, may be in the passenger compartment and a CD changer in the luggage compartment. A databus is used to interconnect the individual electronic control devices within a functional subsystem, with different bus systems being used in different functional subsystems, depending on the requirements. The bus lines of a subsystem therefore generally extend through large parts of the vehicle.
In order to ensure communication between functional subsystems (for example in order to transmit information from the chassis controller to the drive controller), all the subsystems are connected to a central gateway, which also serves as a diagnostics access point. Power is distributed in the motor vehicle separately from the transmission of data, using what are referred to as power points or distributors.
The publication R. Beck, C. Bracklo, G. Faulhaber, V. Seefried, “Backbone-Architektur: Vom zentralen Gateway zur systemintegrierenden Kommunikationsplattform” [Backbone Architecture: From the Central Gateway to the System-integrating Communications Platform], VDI Conference Elektronik im Kraftfahrzeug [Electronics in Motor Vehicles], September 2001, VDI Report 1646, page 277, discloses a network topology for motor vehicles in which superordinate communication between the individual functional subsystems such as chassis controller, drive controller, passenger compartment controller and telematics system, takes place on a central bus. The central databus including assigned interfaces with the functional subsystems is referred to as a backbone. Between each functional subsystem and the backbone there is a bidirectional interface. The provision of the backbone offers, inter alia, the possibility of using the operator-control and display systems jointly for a plurality of functional subsystems. Thus, in comparison to the solution described above which has a central gateway, the complexity of the interfaces is reduced. The backbone is concentrated locally. The control devices of the different functional subsystems are distributed over the entire vehicle and, depending on the requirements, are connected to one another by means of different bus systems.
The invention is intended to provide a control system of the type described above, in which expenditures on cabling are reduced.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a control system which can be fitted or removed at low cost.
To this end, the invention provides a control system in which control devices of different subsystems are combined, according to their spatial arrangement in the vehicle, to form local modules; and control devices within a module are connected to one another by means of a module bus. Each module bus in turn is connected to the central databus by means of a module interface.
By combining spatially adjacent control devices to form modules, the modules can be adapted in an optimum way to the spatial conditions. For example, up to 30 modules may be produced in a vehicle, including a left-hand front module, a right-hand front module, a rear module and four door modules. Control devices from various functional subsystems are combined in the modules. For example, the front module contains control devices from the fields of telematics, passenger compartment control, chassis control and drive control. Communication between the modules is provided by the central databus and the module interfaces. Each module interconnects the assigned control devices via the module bus, which in turn is connected to the central databus by means of the module interface. The module interface can also be referred to as an electronics center.
The central databus transmits data from all the modules using a common protocol, thus simulating the functional subsystems in a virtual fashion. On the one hand, the control system according to the invention can be extended flexibly and easily as it is easily possible to add further control devices in the modules or further modules.
Forming local modules permits short line lengths between the control devices of a module and the central databus. Moreover, the premounting of large modules is made easier, for example front-end, back-end, cockpit, roof lining, doors or engine, as, in contrast to the prior art, the modules of the electronic control system can be matched to the mechanical modules or bodywork modules. As data is in any case transmitted from all the control devices via the central databus, transparent communication between all the control devices involved is possible. Therefore, the use of data of one functional subsystem in another functional subsystem is possible without difficulty.
Because all the control devices are connected to the module buses via standardized interfaces, it is possible to fit or remove the control system. The module buses themselves are also connected to the module interfaces by means of standardized interfaces. A simple overall structure can be achieved by introducing hierarchy levels.
In one embodiment of the invention, the module interfaces and the central databus form a central module, creating a completely modular structure composed of the central module and local modules. Such a structure can easily be fitted, removed or repaired by exchanging individual modules.
In a refinement of the invention, the central module is arranged in the region of the floor or the roof of the motor vehicle. In this way, short line lengths of the module buses can be implemented as the module interfaces can be arranged in the vicinity of the individual modules on the floor of the vehicle or on the roof of the vehicle, for example in a bus-type vehicle.
According to a feature of the invention, the module interfaces have a housing with electronic components which can be plugged in and exchanged, so that they can be scaled in terms of their computing power and equipment. As result, the module interfaces can be adapted to the variable requirements. For example, module interfaces can be retrofitted when special equipment levels are provided, and removed when special equipment levels are taken out.
In another embodiment of the invention, each module interface is provided with separate electronic components that can be plugged in and exchanged, for an interface with the central databus, for processing and control tasks and for at least one interface with a module bus.
Because the individual functionalities of the module interface are provided on separate components which can be plugged in, a particularly well-adapted retrofitting is possible. Moreover, repair is also made easier and less expensive as only defective electronic components have to be exchanged, and not the entire module interface. Each module interface has precisely one interface with the central databus. However, a plurality of modules can be connected to one module interface.
In still another embodiment of the invention, each module interface has components for supplying power to the control devices of an assigned module. In this manner, the module interfaces can also take on the function of supplying power, and form what are referred to as electronics centers in the motor vehicle.
Power supply lines advantageously run in parallel with the central databus and with the module bus. Such a parallelism between the transmission of data and supply of power provides, on the one hand, motor vehicle cabling which is organized in an easily comprehensible way. Moreover, the flexibility of the control system is also increased, since when a module is exchanged, data lines and power lines can be exchanged at the same time.
In still another embodiment of the invention, at least one module interface is provided with at least one component which can be plugged in and exchanged, for supplying power to the control devices of an assigned module. These measures ensure a scaleable power supply or scaleable power electronics, so that the component for the power supply in the module interface is easily replaced when additional loads are provided. In order to adapt a power supply to additional electric loads, it is possible to provide additional components for the power supply as well as exchanging components.
In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the module interface has means for sensing the quantity of energy which is conducted via a power line to at least one control device of an assigned module, the at least one control device of the module has means for determining a quantity of energy which is taken up by the control device and/or a connected load, and for transmitting information about the taken-up quantity of energy to the module interface via the module bus, and the module interface has means for comparing the sensed quantity of energy conducted to the at least one control device of the module with the taken-up quantity of energy determined by the at least one control device.
In this manner, it is possible to detect leakage current in the supply line. This is particularly significant when the power supply voltage in the motor vehicle is raised (e.g., to 42V). For example, all the control devices or individual control devices with a high power drain of a module can be monitored. The power drain at the control device can be determined from available data, such as by measurement or calculation. For example, in an electric window lifter there may be data relating to the power drain when the window is raised or lowered, when starting up from the extreme positions takes place, and the like.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.